The Home Depot Foundation Announces $180,000 Grant to Volunteers of America of Florida to Help Homeless Veterans in Ocala

Local funds part of more than $1.6 million in grants announced for homeless veterans programs nationwide

Ocala, Fla. (August 25, 2015) – The Home Depot® Foundation today announced a $180,000 grant to Tampa-based Volunteers of America of Florida to address the critical housing needs of U.S. military veterans. This grant is part of more than $1.6 million in grants announced for 10 Volunteers of America homeless veterans programs in seven states. These grants will be used to refurbish or build 354 housing units for homeless veterans, as well as many of their family

The grant will benefit Ritz Reserve, which will provide up to 43 units of housing to formerly-homeless veterans. The first phase of the project now underway includes construction of a new two-story, 12-unit building with apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms. Veterans, especially those currently in VA-funded transitional housing, will be given priority. Veteran families, including women veterans with children, will receive preference for the larger units. Residents are expected to move in starting in mid-2016.

“We are so grateful to The Home Depot Foundation for its commitment to helping homeless and at-risk veterans,” said Volunteers of America of Florida, President & CEO, Janet Stringfellow. “They share our commitment to ensure that everyone who served our country has a safe place to call home. With this funding, we are now able to assist even more veterans and their families.”

Since beginning its partnership with Volunteers of America in 2011, The Home Depot Foundation has given nearly $10 million to the organization to improve housing solutions for homeless veterans and their families. The partnership between the two organizations has funded more than 73 veterans’ housing projects, providing more than 2,500 units for veterans, including more than 400 units specifically for women veterans and their families in Alabama, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Washington.

In addition to the grants, Team Depot, The Home Depot’s associate-led volunteer force, has completed countless projects to improve Volunteers of America’s veteran housing Volunteers of America is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit organizations addressing the needs of vulnerable veterans. Nationally, it serves approximately 40,000 veterans each year who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. Specifically, Volunteers of America of Florida is the largest provider of Transitional Housing for veterans in the state and the third largest provider in the Country.

The partnership with Volunteers of America is part of The Home Depot’s nationwide commitment to improving the homes and lives of U.S. military veterans and their families. In the last four years, Team Depot, the company’s associate-led volunteer force, has transformed more than 17,000 homes for veterans and their families with the support of more than

$85 million in donations from The Home Depot Foundation. To learn more about the partnership with Volunteers of America, please visit www.voa.org/the-home-depot.